London practice Teatum + Teatum have transformed Sheffield’s 18th-century Testone Factory into an office and coworking space for the city’s creatives.
Comms agency Peter and Paul tapped the practice, and its coliving sister-brand Noiascape, to oversee the adaptive reuse of the abandoned industrial building, a former iron foundry in the city’s Kelham Island Quarter. Around 50% of the colossal 400 sqm factory has been designated for Peter and Paul’s employees, while the other half has been turned into coworking space for small businesses, startups and freelancers.
Teatum + Teatum have given the factory a spruce while leaving concrete ceilings exposed. The giant floorplate has also been deftly divided, with the practice installing a timber-frame ‘box’ at the heart of the building. It will host events and screenings and be a ‘space for speculation’.
The east wing of the building has been carved into small studios with freshly polished concrete floors and simple white walls. Meanwhile, a kitchen, meeting room and a flexible gallery space for local artists (which opens onto the street) fill the west wing.
Says Tom and James Teatum: ‘Testone connects with the city locally at street level and as an idea. It shows how regeneration at a local level can contribute and be a positive catalyst for change.’
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